Marvel owns the X-men, no profit will be made from this work.
"Move it or lose it, I gotta potty!" Jubilee shrieked with the truck pulling up out front of the cabin.
"I do too!" Illyana cried, a whimper from Jubilee as she let the younger girl ahead of her.
Stepping out of the truck, Logan threw the keys off to be caught, Jubilee hurried as she unlatched the lock and threw open the door. Illyana was a dash of blue and blonde hair racing off to 'check the plumbing' as they say, Jubilee dancing out of the door as Marie wandered in. Canvas lay on top of the furniture, pulling the sheets off to look at what lay beneath, everything rustic and old that suited the decor of the log and stone building.
"Hurry up Yana, please!" Jubilee whined.
"Told ya not to have that extra large coffee..." Marie teased.
"Oh don't mention that! I can barely hold it!" Jubilee spat, dancing around the doorway.
With a flush that sounded more like a sad gurgling, Illyana opened the door to skip past relieved, Jubilee taking her turn next. Daring to lend a hand to boys walking in with the luggage, any offer to help shirked off with manly bravado, instead settling to set to task opening all the windows to start airing out the dusty old cabin.
"Yana! There's no TP!" Jubilee cried from the bathroom.
"I used the last that was there, sorry Ju bee!" Illyana called, a nickname that had stuck.
"Ugh, someone find my duffle. There's a few rolls in there, always come prepared. Hurry up, there's a spider in the shower that's eyeballing me in a mean way!" Jubilee called from behind the door.
Obliging her friend, Marie took the box Pete had and set it down before snatching the duffle thrown about his broad shoulder. Digging through, Marie wondered just what Jubilee considered prepared spying a lot of hot chocolate packets and other sugary treats hidden in amongst her clothes. Finally finding the errant roll of toiletry paper, Marie wandered into the washroom and shut the door before anyone could get an glimpse of the poor woman hunched over the head.
"Thanks Roguey, uh...can you...?" Jubilee asked, a nod towards the spider that had set up shop in the shower.
"Hell no! That's not a spider, that's a fricking baby face hugger. I ain't gettin' anywhere near that thing, ask Pete." Marie said with a look to the spider, some huge thing that was going to have her triple checking her room before going to bed tonight.
"Oh god it moved!" Jubilee shrieked, hurrying with her hygiene.
"Eek! You're on your own!" Marie screamed, throwing the door open to flee.
"Oh sure, menacing mutants you're fine with but a spider has you running, some friend!" Jubilee yelled from the bath.
"Trust me Sugah, you show me a mutant that looks as nasty as that spider and I'd be running!" Marie retorted, ruffling Yana's hair as she passed to help with unpacking everything that was getting brought in.
"I'll go run the sink, the waters icky at first." Illyana said with a wrinkle of her nose, running off to do the few things she could or would be let to do.
"Good thinkin' girl." Marie replied, finding the mismatched dishes in one box to stock in the cabinets.
Surprised at the two weeks they'd been granted away from the school, Marie had followed Jubilee's advice in going loaded for bear as far as what they'd need. With only about as much hydro to run the pump for the well along with the lights as Logan had explained, they'd be roughing it pretty much. Not camping by any means, at least they had a roof over their heads and a shower, though with five of them there the diminutive hot water tank she had spied in the closet would run short pretty quick.
"Okay, someone give me something to evict that mofo with!" Jubilee growled, stalking out of the bath.
"Spatula?" Marie offered.
"Ugh no, I cook pancakes with that. Yana, you tickling me?" Jubilee asked.
"No, I'm right here Ju bee." Illyana said, stepping in from the pantry.
"Then who is...?" Jubilee asked, freezing and going pale with the wide-eyed look Marie threw her.
"Don't...move." Marie whispered, the spider somehow in her friend's hair now.
"Get...it...off...me...now..." Jubilee squeaked out in a panicked whisper.
Reaching down to snag her runner, Marie smacked Jubilee a few times for good measure before checking the bottom of her sneaker, the remains of one squished big honking spider there. Jubilee quickly freaked out with some spasms and thrusts of her arms as she worked through her disgust at having the thing in her hair.
"Yeck, Spider 0 Marie 1, Ima find my Raid, lets do a sweep for any more creepy crawlies." Jubilee announced, looking in another of her duffles before coming back with a can of spider killer and wasp killer alike. "Choose your weapon."
With Yana as backup, Marie took the can of wasp killer while Jubilee had the spider killer, the trio making their way to every nook and cranny of the cabin as the boys watched amused. Nearly a half hour later with every room double checked, the trio collapsed into the sofa with Logan and Pete looking at them with undisguised smirks.
"So what's for dinner Sugah?" Marie asked with a pointed look to Logan.
"Pete wants a crack at the kitchen for some of his home cookin' tonight, tomorrow we'll go fishin' if we want meat for the table." Logan said, taking his feet off the cooler to rummage for some drinks for everyone.
"Can we go swimming?" Illyana asked, the lake visible from the window.
"I don't see anything wrong with that, we still have a few hours of daylight left." Pete remarked, a nod all around.
"Okay ladies, lets get changed!" Jubilee chirped, leaping off the sofa with renewed vigour.
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The beach was little more than a cleft of rock with the water dropping off after a short way out. Buoys floated along the rope to warn of the hazard, a promise from Illyana to tell them if she wanted to go swimming beyond it's range. Dressed in matching polka dot bikini's of their own favourite colours, green for Marie and pink for Jubilee, they both wore large sun hats that mirrored Illyana's own. Standing before her doting brother, he sprayed a liberal wash of sun screen on her fair skin before he let her race off to the lapping waves.
"Nu uh. Get the other stuff out, you promised me a back rub. Two birds, one stone." Jubilee said as Pete pointed the bottle at her own pale skin.
Watching the pair walk off to nestle down on a beach towel, Marie looked to Logan who seemed to be way ahead of her as he held up a bottle of lotion in hand.
"Great minds?" Marie asked.
"You said it Darlin', c'mere." Logan chuckled, throwing his towel down on the rock still toasty from the days rays.
Losing herself to the feel of his strong hands roaming her flesh and working away at her road weary aches, she looked out to where Illyana was ducking and diving under the rolling waves of the lake. Jests from Jubilee of snakes or other serpents were met with a tongue stuck out or vain attempts to splash her from the distance between. Laughing at the young girl's antics, her voice hitched as Logan roamed down to her hips with a playful thumb tugging at her bikini bottoms.
"Hey now Mister!" Marie growled, her hat falling as her head lolled back to throw him a threatening look that he met with a smirk.
"Just makin' sure to get it down far enough so ya don't go gettin' a burnt bottom." Logan lied, popping her hat back on her head.
"Guessin' ya don't need sun screen much do ya?" Marie asked.
"Not usually, long as I take care o' my body it does a good enough job o' takin' care of me." Logan said.
Laying down, Logan lavished attention to her legs with care to her calves, roaming her belly until finally with a look to Illyana again they shared one between themselves that promised some other time. Tending to her chest herself, Marie playfully wiped the her hands clean against Logan's own with her fingers trailing down his toned stomach. Popping up to her feet and leaning over, she kissed him and felt a thrill as his eyes fell from hers in a most suggestive sip.
"I'd say eyes up here Mister, but I really...don't...care." Marie purred, kissing him once more.
Resting her hat on his head, she joined Jubilee in a dash for the lake with both diving in for a game to see who could swim the furthest on their last breath. Breaking out into games that had been denied her for years, played only a handful of times with Abby in her lengthy absence from the mansion, she quickly learned that Jubilee was a cheat at Marco Polo. Left alone at the shore, Pete pulled out a sketch pad to capture the scene sitting next to Logan.
"What's your excuse now friend?" Pete asked with a sly look to Logan.
"Admiring the scenery." Logan replied with a smirk.
"I thought you still might be afraid of swimming." Pete asked without any ill will in his voice.
"Eh, won't lie, nearly drownin' that time did put a bit o' apprehension in goin' for a dip. Blamed it on the adamantium, hell if it wasn't that I just didn't know how to swim." Logan remarked, looking to the first ghostly likeness of the girls coming through in charcoal.
"You handled it well." Pete said with a fond smile.
"What, little Yana teachin' the Wolverine to swim? Sweet kid sister ya got there Petey, just want ya to know that." Logan chuckled, the memory a fond one of his too.
"Thank you." Pete said with his pride showing.
"Hell of a big brother she's got too. Ah, what the hell...lets put on a show for the girls." Logan said with a broad grin.
"Fast ball special?" Pete asked.
"Fast ball special." Logan replied.
With his shirt stretching and his shorts nearly ripping Pete called upon his gift that had him be a Colossus among men. Easier when in uniform, he found the familiar holds learnt through years of wrestling, grappling Logan and holding him as he spun to build up some momentum. Once, twice, the third time left him ready as he let his burden fly, the holler of the man drawing the girls attention as they all looked up in surprise and shock.
"Cannonball!" Logan yelled, vanishing under the waves to burst up a moment later.
"Logan! When did you...won't you...?" Marie shrieked.
"Sink? Nah, got Yana to thank for teachin' this ol' Canucklehead how ta swim." Logan explained, still gasping for breath having it knocked from him with the sudden blow of the waves to his breast.
"Course if I don't keep treadin' water I'm prone o' sinkin' a bit faster than most folks, but if there's one thing I got in spades is stamina." Logan added, an afterthought of his parting words leaving him chuckling.
"Oh you do, do you? Hmm...I like a man with stamina." Marie purred.
The blast of water cooled their jets, turning on their attackers who were already kicking away as fast as they could, Illyana and Jubilee seemingly both born swimmers as they ducked under the waves to emerge in the distance breathlessly laughing and giggling.
"Mister Logan sir, I do believe we've been challenged." Marie said cooly with her southern drawl in full form, though fighting not to break out into a grin.
"Can't have that, can we?" Logan replied before ducking under the waves.
Tackling Jubilee himself while Marie teased and toyed with Illyana, they splashed and played games that never grew too rough, even Pete joining after a while to wade through the warm waters and give his sister a ride on his broad shoulders. Favourably fatigued as he held Marie in his arms, Logan pointed off to where a muskrat swam along the surface with a mouthful of reeds.
"Is it wrong that I think it looks cute?" Marie asked, thinking it had been a beaver at first glance.
"Nah, just don't go tryin' to bring one home." Logan warned, the pair resting against the rocky cliff with the waves lapping at them.
Content to lay with her, he joined in watching Jubilee and Yana skip stones in a game to see whose could skip both the most and farthest. Having been alone all those other times he'd been here, he'd never known just how nice it was to have someone with him as he did now. Catching a shift in the breeze, he gave a sniff and looked to the distant clouds.
"Storm comin' in." Logan whispered.
"Thought they weren't callin' for rain today." Marie mused.
"Nose knows Darlin', figure it won't roll in till tonight. Better be sure to bring everything in before we hit the hay." Logan remarked, enjoying a sigh with no harry or hurry to worry them in their enjoyment of the late afternoon.
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With night falling, the first stars of the eve dotting the sky with the crimson wash along the horizon. Clouds were racing in with the wind, a promise of a storm come later in the night, but for now Marie enjoyed the sunset that was cast in the rolling waves. Settled on the porch, the mournful call of a loon added to the moment, joined by the now familiar creak of the rusted hinge of the screen door as it announced company. Logan stood there with a couple of beers in hand to admire the view, Marie admiring one her own with how peaceful he looked with his gaze lost to the horizon. Settled down next to her he passed off a beer after opening it, her particular favourite she noted with a smile and a sip with her eyes lost to the beauty of the lake though enjoying the company she shared.
"Pretty, ain't it?" Logan mused, a sip of his beer taken before setting it down on the wooden deck.
"It's beautiful." Marie replied, the day of driving worth it alone to enjoy the moment she found herself in.
The week had passed quick, playing hooky to pack up the truck and head out through a winding route that brought them to so many stops along the way, diners and a drive in theatre, even some family run shop selling wooden carvings of bears and such carved from the trunks of trees. With the last sign of civilization an hour behind them they followed some gravel road through a stand of trees that lead into the depths of the wilds.
"How did you ever find this place?" Marie asked, a question that had been on her mind for a while.
Logan sipped his beer looking thoughtful, his eyes distant and looking beyond the horizon. Marie had seen that look but a few times, when he had been lost to a dream or some sense of deja vu. A slight smile fell over him, his eyes blinking a few times before taking a long sip of his beer.
"Came to me one night after Pete and me had been choppin' wood for the fall. He'd been talkin' about wantin' to go campin' like he used ta out on his parent's farm. Apparently they got more acres than they know what to do with so he used ta take Yana out on weekends in the summer. We started lookin' at some map when something about that lake there struck me as bein' familiar." Logan explained, his eyes lost with his beer set before his lips untouched.
"Do you think you've been here before?" Marie asked.
Logan looked to her for a moment before his gaze wandered to the trees that stretched off into rolling hills, climbing to his feet after a moment. Offering his hand he helped her up, leading her off down through the rough path that lead on down to the waters edge. There hugging the rocky cliff well off from their makeshift beach, a wooden dock rocked in the waves with the wood grey from age. Canoes sat off in a stand of trees with their bottoms up, a squirrel sitting atop one to chatter at them as they passed. Lead to the very edge of the dock, Logan settled with her there.
"Feels a bit more than familiar now, feels like something's missin' though." Logan softly said in the quiet of the early eve.
Marie nestled next to him, his fingers trailing along her arm until they entwined with her own, taking his hand in hers as they sat at the edge of the dock. Hearing a splash out on the lake, she looked for it only to see rings rippling out along the glassy suface.
"Fish are jumpin' good, just might have to slip on down early tomorrow ta try and catch us some breakfast." Logan said, pointing off where a boil of the water saw another fish leaping into the air.
"Wow..." Marie whispered, only ever seen such from childhood memories of her father watching fishing shows, hating the memory stirred then.
"I think I know what's missing..." Logan said.
"What?" Marie asked quietly with a look to him.
He didn't answer, at least not aloud, just leaning her back onto the dock with the stars above showing through one after the other with the dying of the day. She felt him slip over her with her vision lost to his steely grey eyes looking longingly to her. Her lips were tenderly stolen in his, his hand run through her hair sending shivers down her back with his other reaching under her to pull her close. Her leg tangled with his in her prostrate pose, a willowy whisper of a breath escaping her as his lips broke free to trail from her neck to her breast, feeling his hot breath against her chin as he looked up.
"That's what was missing..." Logan whispered, rolling to his back that she might lay atop him in his embrace.
Resting with her head against his breast and listening to the beat of his heart, Marie relaxed with her eyes closed and let herself become lost to the moment. Her world became one of her senses, the waning warmth of the day and his scent mingling with the breeze blown in from the lake. The feel of his fingers lazily trailing up and down her back with one arm wrapped about her waist filled her with a sense of completion, that thing she had been looking for so very long finally found in the very last place she had ever looked for it.
"I've been here before, or at least whoever the man that haunts that my dreams was, he was here with someone he loved. It wasn't until just now that I knew exactly how he felt, something always missing whenever I sat down on this dock alone looking out those other nights." Logan said in a raspy breath, hugging her and drawing her close.
Marie didn't say a word for she didn't know what to say, a pang of jealousy stirred at the thought of him holding another as he did her now. It lasted but for a moment, the truth known to her as he kissed her again that she was the one in his arms now. That he had found another bit of his past thrilled her, returning the fervour of his kiss with her hands digging through his hair to hold his head against hers.
"I love you Logan..." Marie between breaths, her head lolling as he nuzzled her neck and nibbled at her ear.
"I love you too Marie..." Logan returned.
To hear him say it without hesitation or pause drove her on, filled her with a need that she knew he felt too if only by the rapid beating of his hammering heart. With fingers digging against his chest, she found the buttons of his shirt to tear at them with the lead set. A sound she could never forget gave her a moments pause, something hard yet warm pressed against her back as the fabric of her shirt fell as wheat to his reaping blade. With that snikt heard once more her back bare to the warm evening breeze, helping him tear the ruined garment from her as she straddled him.
"God you're beautiful..." Logan reverently rasped as he looked up to her.
With the last light of the day caught in his eyes, her reflection was cast from his soulful depths, the truth of her beauty in his eyes shown again as it had that first night. Crashing against him in a needful crush of flesh she kissed him and let herself embrace him without reservation or reserve between them. Her desire was met in kind by his, leading every questioning touch of his on with a cry for more.
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Lost to the aroma wafting out of the screen door of the cabin, Jubilee knew she was so very blessed that not only was her beau a gentleman and a scholar, but the man could cook. Illyana sat next to her on the porch, their feet dangling over together as her young friend tore at the wrapping paper of her gift. Though she knew what it was she acted surprised for the sake of Yana, the look on her face just too precious. Standing in the doorway in the silly apron she had bought him, Pete watched and listened to his sister's squeal of delight at the camera in her lap.
"That's so cool Yana!" Jubilee cheered, hugging her and looking past to Pete who whispered the words he always spoke to her often before heading back into the kitchen.
"Can you help me with it Ju bee?" Yana asked.
"Sure thing kiddo, first thing...go throw this paper into the box by the fireplace. We can have fun burning it later toasting some marshmallows." Jubilee said, Yana heading into the house dutifully.
By the time she returned Jubilee had the camera out of the box while popping away at the bubble wrap, the manual set aside for them both to read later. Snapping the lense on and slipping the battery in, she powered it up and passed it off to Illyana who looked off through the night with her hand on the zoom to bring distant things near. For a long while Illyana snapped away in a carefree daze, looking at the photos taken on the screen after to discard the blurry bounty taken.
"My turn." Jubilee teased, tickling Illyana.
With the camera in hand, she started scanning the distant lake along the shore, passing by some blurred thing on a dock with not a thought to it for a moment only to jerk back. Adjusting the lense just as Illyana had, Jubilee bit her tongue hard to keep from voicing her shock at the sight she saw there. Whimpering in pain, she put on a smile and hoped the young girl next to her didn't notice the tears she struggled to keep at bay.
"Ya mind if I borrow this for a bit, I wanna take some pictures for your big Bro to paint sometime." Jubilee lied.
"Okay, but can I see them?" Illyana asked innocently.
"Uh, yeah...sure...hey, why don't you go lend Piotr a hand in the kitchen? Make sure he's not burning nothing?" Jubilee lied again so far as to use his full name, knowing she'd also have to find some pictures to take for the girl's sake then.
"Okay!" Illyana cheered, hugging Jubilee before rushing into the cabin.
Letting out the mournful wail for her injured tongue, she zoomed back in on the scene that had drawn her attention and thanked whatever god, fate or just bit of luck had Illyana not looking their way. Laying on the deck with some serious heavy petting, cuddling and snuggling going on were her unaccounted for friends. Resisting the urge with all her might not to snap a few photos, the only thing that kept her from racing down there just then was the fact that both had their shorts on so to speak...though with a tilt of her head she saw that Logan's were barely clinging to his toned bottom.
"Don't, bad! Be good...for now. That's it, hands north of the belt mister, that's right Logan...just like that, and that...and...wow...I gotta remember that one for down the line." Jubilee whispered, her cheeks blushing at the play going on down at the dock.
After what seemed like an eternity that left her wanting to take a long walk off that short dock just to cool off in the lake, Jubilee saw them fall against each other in a spent pile without anything else having gone on that they might regret later. She knew she'd have to have a chat with Roguey sooner than later, if only to make sure the next time things happened that she'd know they were ready, but for now she took comfort in knowing nothing had happened...yet.
"And I'm dating the guy that's waiting until he's married...fuck my life." Jubilee croaked, falling against the porch staring blankly up at the starry sky as she pushed aside all the longing stirred watching the pair.
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Stepping into the cabin with her hair mussed, wearing a flannel shirt she hadn't left with and glad she hadn't worn any makeup, Marie looked to the few friends gathered at the dinner table. Logan was shirtless, having taken a dive in the lake to add to the lie that he had felt like going for a dip, though in fact maybe they both needed to cool off a bit after everything that had happened on the dock. Looking between the three, Illyana looked baffled to Pete's genuine curiosity, but something about the look Jubilee had left her wondering what she knew.
"Oh hey, you guys should really check out the cool camera Pete got Yana, man that zoom lense lets ya see everything." Jubilee said, taking a thirsty drink of her water to stall the questioning look Marie threw her.
Surprised that her face had somehow managed to freeze into a semblance of innocence, she excused herself to the room she shared with Logan to get changed. Joined by him, he gathered up some things and looked to with her, both wondering at the words of their friend filled with innuendo.
"Oh god do ya think she saw us?" Marie whispered as he drew near.
"Darlin', that she hasn't run off ta go tackle Pete speaks somethin' o the self control Jubes has but rarely seems ta use, cause her scent alone tells me she saw us." Logan whispered back, already changing out of his damp clothes.
"What do ya mean?" Marie asked with her eyes wide.
Logan just raised both his eyebrows for emphasis, oddly sexy as she stood so near him while slipping into a change of clothes. Remembering his weather prediction earlier, Marie knew then she'd have to have a talk with her later, but for now she was starving after the appetite she had worked up down on the dock with Logan. Whatever Pete had cooked up smelled divine as they casually walked out to the dinner table. Settling down across from Logan with Illyana at her side, Marie looked to the dishes hardly knowing where to start.
"It all smells so good." Marie remarked, looking to what the others had.
"Yeah, it's Pete's own brand of fusion cooking after watching way too many shows on that food network. His family classics kicked up a notch, bam!" Jubilee chirped, nibbling away.
"I always liked the shows about any kind o' grillin'." Logan remarked, helping himself.
"Gee big surprise there, meat fire good." Jubilee teased.
"You never complained about my ribs." Logan argued.
"What can I say, I'm easy to please." Jubilee shrugged off.
Catching sight of the comeback that was clearly on his tongue, Marie kicked Logan under the table and gave a look to Illyana for his warning. Chuckling, he went back to heaping some dish of potatoes before diving into the meat of the meal. Fixing herself a little of everything, with the chatter at the table she noticed few sly looks Jubilee kept peeking at herself and Logan, swearing to drag her off for a talk after dessert.
"A toast." Pete said, raising his glass, "To family and friends, and the special times we share."
A round of cheers went out, Illyana enjoying her grape soda out of a wine glass for the occasion of their first meal on their vacation. Wondering if perhaps Jubilee and Logan were daring to outdo another, both working on a much more modest serving for their third than they had their second, Marie had long ago satisfied her appetite as much as Illyana herself.
"What's for dessert?" Marie asked, peeking at Ilyana out of the corner of her eye though she looked to Pete.
"S'mores, Yana and myself are total experts at making them, ain't we?" Jubilee attested, Illyana backing her up with a nod.
"Just what ya need, more sugar." Logan said, earning a punch to his shoulder from his neighbour.
"We didn't forget you, got you some craft beer for desert. It's like raspberry or something, oh don't look like that. It's good, trust me." Jubilee retorted, sticking her tongue out at the questionable look Logan threw her.
"I'd like to try one, ya got more than one right?" Marie said, curious herself at the odd notion.
"Yeah, got a whole case. If grouchy here doesn't like 'em then we can have 'em." Jubilee replied.
Clearing the table and doing the dishes had most busy in the kitchen, Pete's offer to lend a hand shot down nearly in unison by both Marie and Jubilee, Logan resigned to washing as they dried. Chores done and a fire in the hearth burning, desert was made between some flambe marshmallows and a certain chocolate thief sporting the proof upon her lips.
"Yana if you eat all the Hershey bars we can't make S'mores proper, all we got then are uh..crackers and mallows." Jubilee protested, though still sandwiching a lone mallow between two crackers for a treat.
The pattering of rain announced the coming of the storm, the lights flickering to the distant rumble of thunder. A sudden startling flash with a quick crash of thunder shook the cabin, Illyana racing into her brothers arms who whispered kind and gentle words to her as he held her close.
"Huh, guess I'm sleepin' alone tonight." Jubilee mused.
"What do ya mean?" Marie asked in a whisper, leaning close to her friend.
Jubilee finished licking her fingers before just giving a nod out to the porch, the pair retreating out there. Though the wind lashed at the cabin, the stand of trees lent them some reprieve as they huddled under the porch roof. Settling in the deck chairs beside another with their feet tucked up, they just sat in silence watching the startling beauty hidden in the storm as purple lashes of lightning tore at the heavens.
"Yana's totally like afraid of storms, usually camps down in bed with Pete whenever they blow through at the mansion at night. Ends up me being out on the sofa so I can still be close to my Made in America Russian teddy." Jubilee explained.
"Is there any reason she's...?" Marie asked, Jubilee just shrugging.
"I never felt right asking, I mean heck, I felt like I was the one creepin' in intruding after we started dating. I kinda do hope she grows outta it or just leans ta cope if...Pete and me ever get you know...uh, intimate." Jubilee said, taking a moment to wipe her face with the little spray of rain creeping in.
"Speaking of intimate..." Marie remarked, finding an angle for a certain talk she wanted to have.
"Totally saw you two out on the dock, here..." Jubilee said unabashed, passing over a small box she had hidden in her hoodie.
Marie looked to it feeling a rush of embarrassment but then thought better of it, looking back to Jubilee she saw her friend just smiling at her.
"I don't know if you brought any, but I mean...if Pete and me ever got intimate, I wanted to be ready. They're all yours, but just make sure you save one for me just for my peace of mind, just incase hell freezes over." Jubilee said, nodding down to the box of condoms.
"What do you mean by that Jubes?" Marie asked, stuffing the box under her shirt so she could secret them away just incase.
"Uh, Pete's like...not you know religious in the going to church and all that, but he was just raised that you don't do the deed until you stand before god, or a agent there of and say I do." Jubilee said, a touch hesitant.
"Oh..." Marie whispered.
"I'm cool with waiting, Kaylee said it best that I ain't had anything to twix my nethers that ain't run on batteries, just watching you and Logan getting all hot and bothered down there had me wanting to be sure you two had some protection. Don't get much heathier than Logan o' course but, ya know, don't think ya want to be getting a baby bump anytime soon right?" Jubilee slowly started, building up her pace of chatter until ending with a laugh.
"Thanks Jubes." Marie said, reaching to take her hand and give a squeeze.
"No problemo. Just...next time you do that, make sure you're not somewhere that Illyana can see ya, remember she's got her Big Brother camera now. I am not having that talk with her yet, moment Momma Rasputin heard Pete had a girlfriend, I got inducted into the family and passed that duty as her Big Sister." Jubilee said, laughing harder now though she tried to sound put out by the passed buck.
"You make a great big sister to her Jubes, watching you two playin' down at the beach just had me, oh god just so I dunno, squee?" Marie replied, giggling at the only word she could find to express her feelings.
"Thanks, it's easy with how sweet a kid she is. Anyway, how about we go get Logan his desert beer and ourselves one, then call it a night. The boys like to get up early for fishing, and if we don't catch anything first day, we don't get any meat on the table." Jubilee said as she popped out of her chair, offering a hand to help Marie up.
Taking her friend in her arms, she embraced her in a warm longing hug, so glad to have someone think of her so much as to pass off a box of condoms as embarrassed as she felt at first. She hadn't brought any, thinking she'd be a long way yet from even thinking about it, but somehow everything that had happened between the porch and the dock had dashed that dream. Rushing to her bedroom and stuffing the box in the dresser, down under her undergarments in the hope that no one would go peeking there, by the time she came out to the hearth a beer was found waiting for her along with someone to enjoy it with.
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Though the odd crash of thunder drew her from the brink many a time, held in his arms listening to the slow and steady beat of his heart as he lay slumbering, Marie found the embrace of sleep with her dreams painted by a day at the beach. Wandering down the path to the shore, the waves washed against the rocks painted by a starlit sky though the heavens above were clear and cloudless. Laughter wafted through the woods, familiar though she couldn't place it then with the world turned upside down in the blink of an eye.
Night was cast with the across the heavens, a sunset painted in the waves with the forest now dark and primordial with the call of night birds and the screech of an howl. The even steps of the stairs cut into the rocky cliff were now twisting and turned, candles dotting them leading on through the darkness. She could see the cabin looking out over the lake, the windows light by a fire burning in the hearth with shadows dancing to the flickering flames. Someone was calling her name, but some part of her felt something wrong.
"I'm coming!" Marie called out, racing up the steps though they seemed to run on forever.
The world shifted again, laying on the sofa before the warming flames of the hearth that crackled and snapped. She could hear a story being told as if for children though the voice was but a distant murmur she couldn't understand, beneath her lay Logan with a indulgent smile with mirth in his eyes.
"I guess kookookajoo got screwed." Logan whispered.
"What?" Marie asked, though no answer came as she was taken into his arms and carried off to the bedroom.
Darkness complete fell over the room, the sound of his breathing the only noise that drowned out her own shallow breaths taken feeling something wasn't right. Her heart raced in answer to her fear, looking for Logan as dim light filled the room as she lay in bed. He writhed and twisted in his sleep, a growl rumbling from his chest with the bedroom falling away. With everywhere she looked another horrific scene played out, some battle or another with bullets flying and mortar shells falling. In every last one Logan fought for his very life in some uniform or another.
"Logan!" Marie screamed.
Lost to the battles, Marie felt a rage building in her with a burning in her arms that had her howl in pain. Bone claws tore through her flesh as she clawed free of the bed, the battles gone with only the room bathed in warm light from the fire in the hearth. A woman was at the door looking in, a beauty with dark hair and mocha skin and worry and care in her eyes. Marie looked to her arm and saw three bloody marks there, looking to her own hands to see the bone claws that had ripped from her knuckles. Loathing at herself rose in her, the world shifting again.
Marie stood in the door looking to the bed, Logan sitting there with pained eyes as he met her gaze. A question came to her unbidden, words she knew she had to say though knowing not the reason.
"Which war was it?" Marie asked in a voice that was not her own.
"All of them." Logan answered, his bone claws vanishing with a wet shlunk that broke the spell of the dream.
Tumbling out of bed in a panic Marie slammed her back to the wall and looked around for Logan, his dark shadow leaning against the dresser with his breath coming in ragged gasps.
"Nightmare?" Marie asked in time to Logan, their voices echoing another.
"I think I'll go sleep out on the sofa tonight." Logan started.
"No...don't, I'll...Jubilee's alone in Illyana's bed. I can sleep with her tonight." Marie replied, some sense of dread in her at thinking she could have hurt Logan though she knew not how.
"You sure?" Logan asked, taking a shaky breath as he sought to find his calm.
"Yeah, don't worry." Marie whispered, hearing him draw near with his hand finding her own.
Pulled into his embrace she could feel the cold sweat on him, realizing she herself was drenched. With a shuddering breath she let herself relax against him, his nearness a balm to her soul and the nightmare she'd suffered. Kissing another until they were both breathless again for all the right reasons, he lead her off to the door and bid her good night. Creeping to the room across the hall, she slipped in to see Jubilee sitting up in bed with a blanket drawn about her shoulders.
"Did we...?" Marie asked, Jubilee just nodding.
"Yeah...you okay, you two both sounded..." Jubilee asked, worry in her eyes.
"Nightmares, really bad nightmares both. Maybe Logan was right about that beer." Marie whispered, trying to push down her tortured feelings with a big of humour.
"Maybe it's an acquired taste. Okay, towel on the dress for ya to dry off with, ya can slip into something of mine, and then get your butt in bed. Oh, and no promises that I won't end up spooning with ya. Once ya get used to sharing a bed with someone it's weird not to." Jubilee kindly remarked, waiting for Marie to freshen up before slipping into bed.
Obeying the casually called orders, Marie felt herself relax as she settled into bed with her friend. Jubilee was fast to fall asleep, her warning leaving her prepared as her arms wrapped about her to snuggle in close. Finding it a welcome embrace, Marie pushed aside the horrid scenes from the dream and called back happier memories of the beach once again as sleep found her at last.
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Author's Note : Many thanks to everyone who has been enjoying the story, and to everyone for the kind reviews! It's all been building up to this, with more to come soon I promise! Enjoy!